SLAMABAD - The treasury and the opposition in the Senate on Friday agreed to revamp criminal justice system in the country besides revisiting the National Action Plan (NAP) against counterterrorism in the wake of lynching of a Sri Lankan national on charges of blasphemy. 

The rare agreement came amid demand of the opposition that the government should take the House into Parliament about any terms of the ceasefire reached with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The House unanimously passed the resolution condemning the shameful act of violent mob attack and killing of Sri Lankan citizen Priyantha Kumara in Sialkot. Opening discussion in the House on an adjournment motion about the brutal incident of lynching, the Parliamentary Leader of PML-N in the House Senator Azam Nazir Tarar urged the need to revamp and reforming criminal justice system in the country to ensure that culprits involved in such incident do not go scot free.  

Senator Tarar noted that the culprits in a number of incidents of lynching and mob justice could not be penalized due to weak criminal justice system with the exception of Zainab case. He underlined that it was not possible to punish those behind complicated criminal cases involving circumstantial evidence under the existing legal system. “The severity of the punishment will not work as deterrent rather it is the certainty of conviction which works as a deterrent.” He said that it was the duty of the Parliament to make effective legislation to avoid such incidents. 

The opposition lawmaker said that extremism was such a menace on which state never made a policy at national level and questioned, “Why the NAP was not implemented.” He urged the need to bring changes in the curriculum and introduce social justice system to end extremism by setting aside political differences. 

Govt asked to disclose terms of ceasefire with TTP

Leader of the House in the Senate Dr Shahzad Waseem agreed the need to take steps that no one could take laws into his own hands. He said that there was need to make strong the criminal justice system to ensure effective implementation of laws to avoid incidents of mob justice. 

The PTI lawmaker said extremism has a history and the religious extremism in the country emerged in the decade of 80s that existed even today. “The loopholes in NAP should be revisited,” he said adding that they should actively participate in the war against extremism” as they did in the war against terrorism.

Former Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani while speaking on his turn said that it was the duty of Parliament to point out actual root causes of extremism. He regretted that political forces and the Parliament have been made irrelevant. “The Parliament is used when it suits the state.”

Senator Rabbani argued militant groups in the country used to challenge the writ of the state through violence and “the state becomes a silent spectator.” He said TTP groups based in Afghanistan were reuniting, backed by transnational militant groups and feared that this would give rise to religious extremism in Pakistan. He said reports also suggest that Al-Qaida militants were present along the border with Pakistan. 

He said that the state could no longer afford to enter into secret agreements with forces such as TTP and TLP. He said that the state would have to be answerable to the Parliament.  

Senator Rabbani demanded that the state would have to inform the Parliament about the terms of ceasefire reached with the TTP. This is because on hand there is ceasefire agreement and on the other side, the personnel of Pakistani Armed Forces were being martyred, he added. “Why type of this ceasefire is in place?” 

Later the House passed the resolution which reiterated that “extremism was condemnable in all its forms and manifestations.” 

The House said the unfortunate incident of gruesome brutality reflected the mindset of extremist elements that exist in our society, which had not only tarnished the peaceful image of Pakistan but also Islam.  

“The government should take immediate administrative, legal and awareness measures for eradication and countering of violent tendencies in the society,” it said. 

The House also demanded immediate punishment of not only the culprits involved in instigating and killing of Kumara but also all those involved in similar violent incidents in the past. 

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance Shaukat Tarin, who had recently been elected as Senator on a seat of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, took oath of office that was administered by Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani.